‘Ballet de Lorraine have very dynamic dancers and a varied repertory, and I’m sure they will bring a real energy and excitement to the Linbury’.

Ballet de Lorraine was founded in 1968. In 1999, it became a National Choreographic Centre (one of 19 formed in France in 1984), and has since focused on choreographic creation, experimenting with provocative, contemporary dance. Swedish dancer and choreographer Petter Jacobsson became Director of Ballet de Lorraine in July 2011.

‘I’ve known Petter for many years’, says Kevin. ‘We both danced with the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet from 1984. He was a very fine classical dancer and has led a huge, varied career.’

‘As Director of The Royal Ballet of Sweden, Petter really pushed the boundaries', says Kevin. ‘Now, he continues to do so at Ballet de Lorraine, placing the company at the forefront of dance in France.’

Ballet de Lorraine are performing a mixed bill from 11 to 14 March 2015. The programme features two UK premieres: Greek choreographer Andonis Foniadakis has created a powerful new work to John Adams' minimalist Shaker Loops (1978); while Israeli choreographer Itamar Serussi has taken Berlioz’s melancholy Symphonie fantastique as inspiration.

‘I feel that the general consensus is that ballet is quite an exclusive thing to do’, says BBC Radio DJ Sara Cox just before the matinee performance of Swan Lake.

‘That’s true. It’s seen to be for posh people’, agrees her mother Jackie Williams, soon to see her first ballet. ‘So, it’s rather good that cinemas are now showing live theatre, live opera and live ballet. It’s amazing, and it’s happening at my local cinema too. After seeing it live, I may then go and see it from the theatre at the cinema!’

Sara took her mother to see a matinee performance of Swan Lake last week. Before the performance, she explored the cavernous backstage area (‘It’s like an airport hangar!’) and met Royal Ballet Principal Thiago Soares.

‘We all dream of Swan Lake when starting your career’, says Thiago. ‘It’s a well-known title for everyone and there’s a very special magic to it. It’s the classic of the classics! The two principal roles are very demanding, requiring acting and classical technique, and it’s everything that leading dancers want to achieve.’

Listen to the feature here:

Swan Lake runs until 9 April 2015. Tickets are sold out, but returns may become available and there are 67 day tickets available for each performance.

The production is given with generous philanthropic support from Celia Blakey, John and Susan Burns, Doug and Ceri King, Peter Lloyd and Gail Ronson. Original Production (1987) and revival (2000) supported by The Linbury Trust.

Do you know who wrote the original story for Swan Lake, most famous of classical ballets? Well, neither does anybody else. The programmes for the original performances in 1877 gave no clue as to either author or sources – which, frustrating as it might be, has left the field open for those who like to speculate. It’s also contributed to the ballet’s fluidity; probably more than any other work in the art form Swan Lake has inspired a multitude of different readings, from Matthew Bourne’s male-swan version to Darren Aronofsky's film Black Swan.

The easiest question to answer is over the identity of those uncredited authors at the 1877 premiere – almost certainly Bolshoi Theatre artistic manager Vladimir Petrovic Begichev and dancer Vasily Fedorovic Geltser, likely with input from composer Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky. The original story requires quite a bit of exposition that is not very ballet-friendly, and has been cited as one of the reasons that the ballet failed to take flight in its original staging. In this version, Odette is hiding from her wicked stepmother with her grandfather, a sorcerer. He allows her to roam at night disguised as a swan, and has given her a protective tiara. She falls in love with Siegfried; he betrays her at a ball; she refuses to forgive him and Siegfried angrily snatches the charmed crown off her head. The stepmother seizes her chance and sends a wave that sweeps the lovers to their deaths.

The story was simplified for the 1895 production that has gone on to become the primary source for all classical productions of the ballet today. Begichev and Gelster worked together to hone the ballet's narrative, this time with contributions from Tchaikovsky’s brother Modest (Pyotr Il’yich having died in 1893). This pared-down story has a crucial difference from the original in its sympathetic depiction of Siegfried. He’s now tricked into his treachery by an Odette-like apparition sent by Von Rothbart, the evil sorcerer who has Odette cursed as a swan. There’s the same denouement of death by lake, as Odette and Siegfried fling themselves into its waters to escape Von Rothbart’s power.

All this is very well – but where did that accursed swan maiden come from? The legend of the shapeshifting swan maiden is a long-standing folkloric trope that has countless manifestations. She is most commonly pursued by a mortal man, whose relationship with the swan maiden represents a weakening of her power. There’s no evidence to suggest whether one version in particular inspired the 1877 libretto, but the one most commonly proposed is German writer Johann Karl August Musäus’s story Der geraubte Schleier (The Stolen Veil) – one of the many versions in which the swan maiden’s power is held by a veil, which is stolen from her by an amorous mortal.

Another potentially influential myth is that of the water nymph Undine or Melusine. She, like the swan maiden, appears in countless stories, many of which share elements with Swan Lake – a love triangle, where Undine’s mortal lover is distracted by another; and the watery end, as the water nymph returns to her lover to give the kiss of death. Undine had been given a new lease of life in Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué’s 1811 novella (inspired by writings of Goethe and Paracelsus, among others) – iterations that followed included Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and Aleksandr Pushkin’s 1830s unfinished verse drama Rusalka (and even Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1882 fairytale-cum-political satire Iolanthe). Tchaikovsky had been working on an Undine opera at the time he wrote Swan Lake, and recycled some of its music in the ballet.

As it stands, there’s no known precursor that exactly matches the story for Swan Lake. Perhaps we should consider it the amalgam of a number of different European and Russian folktales, collaboratively concocted by a small group at the Bolshoi. Whatever their sources, together they produced one of the most enduring stories in ballet history.

Swan Lake runs until 9 April 2015. Tickets are sold out, but returns may become available and there are 67 day tickets available for each performance.

The production is given with generous philanthropic support from Celia Blakey, John and Susan Burns, Doug and Ceri King, Peter Lloyd and Gail Ronson. Original Production (1987) and revival (2000) supported by The Linbury Trust.

For decades, Britain has undoubtedly been one of the most exciting places to be a dancer and a choreographer. The English style is world-renowned, built on the rich heritage of Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan as well as dancers such as Margot Fonteyn and Anthony Dowell. But ballet training in Britain today looks forwards as well as backwards. For The Royal Ballet’s Director Kevin O’Hare, ‘British dance is having a renaissance.’

‘I think we’re in a very exciting time’, he says. ‘There are lots of great things happening in all the companies around the country. With companies and their associated schools widening their reach and selection processes across the country there are lots of talented students coming through the schools.’

Audiences will soon have a chance to see for themselves how Britain remains a magnet for international dancers and leading choreographers. Students from some of the UK's most prestigious ballet schools will perform in next month’s Spring Celebration, to showcase how the best of British ballet training translates into spectacular performances on stage.

'It's very hard to describe the English style but everybody's always talking about it! It's not maybe as flashy as some of the other styles but it's based on a really solid technique and we love sharp, intricate footwork. We like an ease of the upper body and have a very naturalistic style of performing,' says Kevin.

But it is not just gifted emerging dancers who continue to graduate from British schools. ‘There are a lot of great choreographers,’ says Kevin of a country that in recent years has trained artists including Christopher Wheeldon, Liam Scarlett and George Williamson. ‘I think that also starts with the schools. They actually encourage choreography from a very early age… and for me personally, at The Royal Ballet it has been wonderful to see our current and hugely talented array of choreographers producing work that challenges and stimulates our dancers. Together, they are creating the classics of the 21st century.'

Spring Celebration will take place at the Linbury Studio Theatre on 7 March 2015. Tickets are sold out but returns may become available later.

On 25 February 2015, Covent Garden will host the Life Reimagined Gala, a very special event in aid of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, the charity that supports the performances, craftsmanship and Learning and Participation projects of the ROH.

'For The Royal Ballet, the Gala offers a wonderful opportunity to showcase The Royal Ballet organization in its entirety; from the youngest members of our Chance to Dance Company, to students from the Lower and Upper Royal Ballet School and the dancers of The Royal Ballet including many of its Principal dancers,' says Director of The Royal Ballet Kevin O'Hare.

As well as excerpts from some popular and familiar works there will be an opportunity for ballet fans to see new work created especially for the occasion. Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett has taken inspiration from Gershwin’s Summertime to create an evocative pas de deux for Principals Zenaida Yanowsky and Matthew Golding, and Kim Brandstrup has turned to the delicacy of Purcell’s Fairy Queen for his piece performed by Principals Laura Morera and Federico Bonelli as well as a Royal Opera Jette Parker Young Artist, soprano Lauren Fagan.

'I am delighted that we are also able to stage, for the first time, the pas de deux from the National Theatre and Cameron Mackintosh’s highly-acclaimed production of Carousel. Choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan in 1992, it was to be the last piece of choreography that he created before his untimely death, and will be danced in the gala by Sarah Lamb and Carlos Acosta. It promises to be a joyous and truly unique evening.'

Director of The Royal Opera, Kasper Holten, is equally excited about the event:

'It is always a thrill to work on one of the whole-house galas as it really brings us out of our comfort zone of doing productions as we are used to and are forced to think about how we can put something very special together for the audience and to showcase what ROH is really about. Whereas we are proud to be working alongside The Royal Ballet every day all year, there is something special about coming together artistically, and really thinking about what image we want to project of ROH.

'Galas can be difficult to make truly exciting for opera, as even when we land wonderful singers, we lack all the other ingredients that makes opera so overwhelming: the staging, the costumes, and other elements of the production. For this gala, we want to really try to push opera forward and make it look – as well as sound - spectacular in these circumstances. When I worked with the amazing video designer Luke Halls on Don Giovanni last year, it was clear to me that, with advances in technology and an artistic brain like Luke’s, video can now help us make a fascinating visual evening in addition to securing great singers.'

One late addition to The Royal Opera's gala line-up is Aleksandrs Antonenko:

'When our other tenor had to withdraw recently for personal reasons, we had not dared hope we would manage to secure one of the world’s leading tenors on such short notice,' says Kasper. 'Since he blew us all away with his Otello in Summer 2012, it has been clear that he is a world star, and we are delighted that he will join the gala.'

All proceeds go to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a registered charity that supports the outstanding performances, remarkable craftsmanship and inspiring Learning and Participation projects of the Royal Opera House.

We regret that due to a number of ongoing injuries and the close proximity of the performances it has been necessary to make changes to the published casting for performances of Swan Lake on 19 and 21 February 2015.

It's the time of year when card shops, chocolatiers and florists go into overdrive. Valentine's Day is here. To celebrate we've picked out our favourite romantic ballets, famed for their passionate pas de deux and amorous adagios:

Romeo and Juliet

Ultimately doomed, yes, but Kenneth MacMillan's stunning adaptation of William Shakespeare's iconic play deserves its place at the top of any Valentine's Day ballet list, such is the allure of (possibly) the greatest love story ever told. A lesser choreographer might struggle to reflect the passion and lyricism of the Bard's writing in movement, but in creating moments like the intensely tender Balcony pas de deux, MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet is as vital and thrilling as the play it was based upon:

The Sleeping Beauty

Marius Petipa's iconic Sleeping Beauty offers up an enchanted world of princesses, fairy godmothers, magic spells and a charming prince, the ballet includes many memorable moments including technically demanding choreography such as the famous - and influential - Rose Adagio. But for heartwarming romanticism, few moments beat the Awakening scene, in which dashing Prince Florimund breaks Aurora's spell-induced slumber:

Frederick Ashton's pastoral ballet may appear whimsical on first glimpse, but La Fille mal gardée packs a virtuoso punch, featuring some of its creator's most brilliant choreography. Inspired by Ashton's love of the Suffolk countryside, it contains a series of energetic pas de deux for Lise - the wayward daughter of the title - and her farmhand lover Colas. Chief among them is the pas de ruban, a ribbon dance that captures the elan of young love:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

The most recently-created inclusion on this by no-means-exhaustive list, Christopher Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is largely faithful to the source material of Lewis Carroll's much-loved novel. One addition in the balletic adaptation however, is the inclusion of a love interest for Alice, who is depicted as a teenager instead of the younger girl of Carroll's original text. Jack (otherwise known as the Knave of Hearts) is on the run for stealing the Red Queen's tarts and sweeps Alice off her feet, culminating in a tender, loving pas de deux in the penultimate scene:

Mayerling

Something of a wildcard (to put it mildly) in this list, MacMillan's intense adult drama Mayerling is an exploration of the darker side of love based on the true story of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary, who, following a downward spiral of drug abuse and violence, committed suicide with his mistress Mary Vetsera in 1889. The Prince's emotional decline is charted through a series of shocking, highly-charged pas de deux, which push the limits of classical ballet:

Which are your favourite romantic ballets?

La Fille mal gardée runs 16 April-5 May 2015. Tickets are still available. The production is staged with generous support from Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet, the Paul Ferguson Memorial Fund, Celia Blakey and Marina Hobson OBE and Peter Lloyd.

The forthcoming tour in June marks the first time The Royal Ballet has performed in New York for more than a decade, and some 37 years since the last performance in Chicago.

The Winter's Tale, which was critically acclaimed on its premiere in 2014, is based on Shakespeare’s dark drama of love and loss. It will be shown in more than 400 cinemas across the US from 17 February 2015. Read audience reactions to the opening night and to the live cinema relay.

Watch an interview with Christopher on the challenges and process of creating The Winter's Tale:

The event also included an introduction from Kevin and a Q&A session with Christopher, Lauren and Edward.

‘Last Season was our biggest year so far, with cinema audiences doubling to more than 700,000 attending around the world,’ he said. ‘It’s a great way for people to get to see our work and this Season we’ll be screening ballet into more than 400 cinemas across the US.’

The production is given with generous philanthropic support from Celia Blakey, John and Susan Burns, Doug and Ceri King, Peter Lloyd and Gail Ronson. Original Production (1987) and revival (2000) supported by The Linbury Trust.